Posts Tagged ‘Wealth

The latest message from Griffith First Christian Church in Griffith, Indiana. This message is based on Luke 16:19-31 and is about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The audio quality is a bit lacking due to a software update to Windows 10.

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When it comes to things like income inequality and issues of social justice such as clean water, God hears the cries of the oppressed and marginalized. This is what James says:

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.​ – James 5:4-6 (NIV)​

We who have been blessed are to be a blessing to others. That is why God blesses us. It is not for the rich to get richer. It is so that we can bless those who are poor, especially in the church. Rather than fattening ourselves, we need to be aware of the needs of those around us so that we can meet them. This is where faith meets action. God, who is so very generous, blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others through generosity.

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Good Tuesday morning to you! In James 5, he turns his attention to the wealthy who were oppressing the poor. He writes:

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. – James 5:1-3 (NIV)

It is easy to point our fingers at the wealthiest people among us and say, “A-ha! Now you’re going to get what’s coming to you!” What if WE are the rich who are hoarding our wealth? While we may not be living high on the hog, we’re certainly not living underneath it. You’re reading or hearing this on a high-tech communication device of some kind. We have so much more than billions of people around the world and even millions of people here in America. We need to be mindful of just how blessed we are before we fall prey to class warfare. Yes, there are super wealthy people who will be judged by God for how they handled their blessings. But so will we who are wealthier than we believe.

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Jesus said it and James did too, God doesn’t play favorites and neither should we. This is what James said:

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. – James 2:1 (NIV)

James gives the example of two people coming into a gathering of believers. One is obviously wealthy and the other is obviously from the poor side of the tracks. The wealthy believer is shown preferential treatment and the poorer person is not shown the same attention. This should not be the case.

If a church plays favorites, they are directly in violation of God’s commands. God’s grace is the same for all regardless of age, gender, economic status or past. We cannot show favoritism to the wealthy just because they’re on a higher rung of society or to garner some kind of favor from them. We may be tempted to kowtow to the wealthy to fund our ministries or to reach their wealthy friends. The key is to devote ourselves to the truth of the Gospel first and foremost and not play favorites. Otherwise, we’ll be tempted to water down the Word of God so as not to offend those who may be living high on the hog.

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James says that the poor should take pride in their low position because they have a deeper faith in God. Then he addresses the wealthy believers who were in the church at Jerusalem. He said:

But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. – James 1:10-11 (NIV)

If a wealthy believer were to lose every material possession, they could still rejoice in the fact that they have Jesus. The question for us all, especially American Christians who have so much, is this: “Is Jesus enough?” We have so much more than the rest of the world that we forget that we are so blessed. If you were to lose everything, would Jesus be enough? Would you be satisfied knowing that you have Him and the promise of Heaven? Ask yourself this question today as you count your many blessings.

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The Parable of the Rich Fool13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Greed. In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus warns against it.

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15 (NIV)

Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV):

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Notice that Paul does not say that money is the root of all evil. He says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Kyle Idleman, in his book Not A Fan, says about the rich young ruler that the problem wasn’t that he had money, but that money had him. It is far too easy to become possessed by our possessions. To be worried about our things instead of focusing on our faith. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need. He will provide for us when we trust Him. We must seek first those things that are most important – His Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) and He will bless us with all that we need. Jesus is telling us today, “Don’t worry. Don’t hoard. Don’t store up the things of this life. They are only temporary!” Let us seek the things of God for then we will truly find blessings and riches beyond our wildest dreams.

PRAYER: Father, help me to focus less on material things and more on the eternal things. Help me to know that You hold all things together. I don’t want to be greedy. Instead, I want to be thankful. Thank You for all that You have provided for me. You are faithful. Amen.

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Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

The disparity between the wealthiest of society and the poorest is quite evident in our world today. Class warfare is a real thing. The media fans the flames between the haves and have-nots. Those who have are portrayed as greedy. Those who have not are portrayed as oppressed. In many instances, this is true. The wealthiest among us are not actually among us. They may not understand the plight of the commoner. Tens of millions of dollars in bonuses each year for a CEO who cuts the workforce of their company by 10% because their profit margins are too slim does not compute for the family who is a part of the 10%. Shareholders are given more consideration than the worker who makes it all possible. This is not true in all instances, but oftentimes it is the case.

Here’s the bad news for the CEOs and the wealthiest, as well as for the blue-collar workers and the poorest – you cannot take it with you. Whether you’re living high on the hog or underneath it, your wealth (or lack thereof) will not punch your ticket into Heaven. God is not impressed by a stock portfolio. He is not wowed by a fleet of airplanes. God is not pleased with greed. Paul made it clear that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). That goes for those who are wealthy as well as those who are poor. The motivation for wealth stems from the same source – greed. If you have lots of money, you want more. If you have no money, you really want more. Money cannot get us into Heaven with Christ. Only Jesus can do that. What did He tell the rich young man? Give it all away. Those who hoard wealth as well as those who desire wealth will all end up in the same place – the grave. The key to overcoming the grave is to put your faith and trust in Jesus, not in your money.

PRAYER: Lord God, help me to put my trust in You to provide all that I need. Money and wealth are not the answer. Give me the strength I need to trust You and to be generous with all that you’ve given to me. Thank You for the blessings You have provided. Help me to see Your blessings and not take them for granted today. Amen.